I am literally the worst person in the entire world omg you all must hate me.
Okay so yeah I haven't updated in like three years I'm so sorry guys! I HAVE EXCUSES THOUGH. I was working on projects for school, I was SICK very sick, and I was putting together the now completed playlist for this story! You can all find it on 8 tracks Internet radio, the title is literally "The Monster Playlist". I can update the playlist with new songs whenever I please, so feel free to send me more songs!
I want to thank all you patient people and the ones who helped me with the playlist! Here's the next chapter that doesn't do my time out any justice at all!
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"and stumbled on 'ta Jeff VanVonderen..."
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Chapter 13: Gravitational Pull
"Get to the sewers, get to the sewers!" Raphael chanted at his three companions, lifting up a manhole so that they could all jump in.
First came Mikey, then Casey, followed by Leo, and then Raph who slammed down the metal topper back into it's place. The boys drew their weapons in case there was a creature lurking somewhere in the shadows, encircling the same small space for about five minuets. They didn't have time to feel guilty about leaving Estelvoya's shop a mess, they only had time to think about the words that she had said after the crystal ball exploded. Donnie was going to kill April if they didn't hurry up and find where he was hiding.
"Let's walk." Leonardo ordered, sliding his katanas back into their quiver upon his back.
"Where do you think Don is?" Casey asked.
"I don't have the slightest idea." The leader in blue sighed deeply.
The intensity and urgency that plagued the minuets before had died down as the boys began to think that there was a small chance that they may never find Donatello and April in their hideaway, wherever it was. The blue masked turtle retrieved the vial of glowing blue Kraang brand antidote that they would have to insert into Donnie someway when they found him. There had been no more sightings of the beast from anyone around the city, and a melancholy spell had been cast on Manhattan for the past couple days.
"What if we don't find them?" Michelangelo turned to the older guys.
"We're going to find them. The lot of us could stand here all day and play the "what if game" but instead we have a mutant monster to track down." Leo said, dismissing Mikey's negative thoughts.
"Maybe they're both in trouble somewhere. They could be rotting in some hole and not even crazy Estelvoya would know."
"Way to be positive, Raph." The black haired human mumbled.
"Thanks." Raphael grumbled in return. Tension levels were rising as rapidly as the cold in the tunnels.
"Calm down, guys. It's not like your helping add to the mood." Mikey said.
Leonardo plowed ahead a bit as the other three members of his team began to bicker. He needed to sort out his thoughts a bit and set a definite plan for once they found Donnie because right now, luck was not really on their side. Since the boys were distracted, the blue masked turtle sat down on the sewer floor and leaned up against the curved wall.
"Why can't things be easy?" He pondered.
Because no solvable problem ever has a deadline, you have to work for it or else it wouldn't be solvable, it would just be a problem and only a problem. Leo had to stay strong for his brothers and his team and his friends and family and New York for that matter. With a sharp intake of breath, the brave ninja leader stood up, only to swerve to the side, like some unearthly force had latched onto him.
"Leo? You doing ballet or something over there?" Casey half joked.
"No! Something is weighing me down, it's pulling me down the corridor!" The turtle in question shouted.
Suddenly the glowing vial that contained the Kraang-mastered antidote they had received from Abigail shot out of Leonardo's katana quiver and nearly shattered on the ground, but was saved by the blue masked leader himself. There seemed to be a pull on it, like the strange liquid was gravitating towards it's target, and it's target was Donnie. Leo's blue eyes bulged with surprise.
"The antidote is gravitating towards it's target, it'll lead us to Donnie!"
"That's insane!" Raph crossed his arms.
"And cool!" Mikey added. "Let's go dudes!"
As the vial threatened to spill from Leonardo's grip, the boy stated to jog in order to keep up with the surprisingly powerful pull of the object. Down the tunnel the turtle ran, his brothers and teammate in tow, desperately praying that this would actually complete their quest in finding Donnie or, as he liked to be called, Monstertello. At least, that's what the team had seen on the walls, written in blood.
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"Well my beloved monster, I guess we're just a reiteration of Beauty and The Beast."
"...well I guess I make a good beast..." Donatello responded awkwardly.
"Your a cute beast." April smiled slightly.
"And your a beautiful beauty..."
"Thank you, Donatello."
"...what does this mean for us, April?" Monstertello asked as he hugged the teenage girl closer.
"What do you think it means? I guess I understand now why you did all that you did, your rampages and everything like that, and I can say I feel much closer to you. Donnie, I promised you that I would stay with you, but I don't know if I'm ready for...this type of commitment, especially when we're being hunted down by the entire population of New York." April explained, stopping occasionally to gauge Don's reaction in the dark. It was so hard to find these words, especially after he had found all his. She gave him a load of credit for all that he had said.
"I can't say I'm surprised. This is all expected because, I'm a beast, and this is probably the craziest thing that has ever happened to you and I just want to apologize..." Donnie sighed deeply.
"I forgive you, and I'm here to help, and I know we can get through this."
Both sat there in a gentle silence that didn't make either feel awkward the slightest. The beast hugged his beauty who smiled profusely, quite happy with how everything had turned out for her and her sweet monster. If she could have anything else at this moment, it would be a nice warm shower. Living in the sewers for this long in the same beautiful outfit was starting to take it's toll on April and she could barely stand her own smell. Could she convince Monstertello to take her to her aunt's apartment so that she could quickly rinse off? Now seemed like a good time since he was in a rather relaxed mood, this was further explained with his steady breaths.
"Hey Donnie?" The auburn haired girl tapped at the silence.
"Yeah?"
"Can you do me a favor?"
"Depends..." The monster gulped.
"Relax, I just want to go to the surface and take a quick shower.
The grime is adding an extra layer to my skin..." April chortled as she ran her fingers down her left arm, cringing upon finding scars.
"Of course you can. Would you like to go now? I think the sun is finally coming up..." Donnie squinted, looking at the sunlight that he had been longing to see peek through the storm drain.
"Let's go, I feel disgusting." The young girl fixed her lovely dress and then climbed up on top of the monster in the position most comfortable that she had always used.
The two rode together down the sewer tunnel, holding a lovely conversation about the tastiest items on Murakami's menu and how they might stop at his shop later if they had time. Donatello would take April to her aunt's apartment depending on if she was home or not, and let her rinse off so that her sanitation oriented needs would be met and she wouldn't get sick from the endless amounts of grime and sewage. As minutes passed, one by one rays of sunlight showed their light to the world as the sun rose higher and higher into the sky, alerting the city that it was time to get up and go to work, many jobs were re-opening, but all schools were still closed. Many of the students would've rejoiced upon the fact that they had an off day, but they were all too terrified that the monster would return, as was every adult. There was no way of telling when or if he would come back. April prayed nobody would see him slinking around in the sunlight, but chances were slim, so she'd probably have him wait for her at low ground where he couldn't be seen.
"This ladder is annoying." The beast grumbled as he fingered the bars.
"You can do it, c'mon." April encouraged him and he climbed. "I'm going to need you to stay in the alleyway or fire escape behind the apartment."
"Why?" Don asked.
"So hopefully, nobody will see you. That would be a total disaster, Donnie, and you know it." The blue eyed beauty explained.
"Fine." He reluctantly agreed, slinking through small back city passages as he made his way to April's Aunt Leslie's. Upon getting there, the girl slipped off his back and began to climb the fire escape up to the window where she would enter. "April-"
"I know." She interrupted. "Don't run, I'll be waiting, I know all the rules."
"I was just making sure." Donnie padded his palms against the asphalt out of what seemed like nerves and a hint of anger, which he quickly brushed away for the sake of the girl climbing up above him.
April used her ring to pick the lock on her window and slip inside. A wave of coolness from the air conditioner that her aunt always had running washed over her and she fell to her knees out of pleasure of being in a familiar place again. Her bedroom, her pictures, her clothes, her things, she had missed it all so much. Tears welled up in April's eyes, but she blinked them away, keeping her stronger persona on top as she stood back up and walked around quietly. If her Aunt Leslie was home and discovered her, it would be chaos, so she couldn't stay long. The girl quickly threw her dress onto her bed and slipped into the shower. Hot water was even better than cool air conditioning and since she used an entire bottle of body wash, most if not all of the dirt and grime was gone. After her hair was washed, she wrapped a towel around herself and stepped out.
"Knock knock knock"
April froze.
"Who's in there?" Her aunt's familiar voice called. "I have a weapon!"
"A-Aunt...Leslie?" The auburn haired girl squeaked.
"APRIL?!" She screamed from behind the door. "OH DEAR YOUR OKAY!"
"Yes! Yes! Please be quiet! Please!" The girl pleaded as she opened the door, only to be greeted by a bone crushing hug from her overexcited aunt.
"My dear where have you BEEN?! Are you hurt? Are you sick? Do you need medical help? Your father and I have been going crazy!" Aunt Leslie chortled as she checked her niece all over for open wounds and scars.
"No, no, I'm fine, I really am! I just, can't...be here, Aunt Leslie." April held her towel close.
"What in the heavens do you mean?!" The woman cried.
"I just have to be somewhere else,
I swore I would, but I'll be back! I know I'll be back, I swear it, but you just can't worry about me or tell anyone you saw me, ok?"
"April O'Neil, it is my JOB to worry about you! And your father's! How am I NOT supposed to tell anyone about this?! Everyone thinks you've been eaten by a monster for God's sake!"
By now, April's emotions had bubbled up inside of her too long and all this pressure had caused tears to spill out of her eyes as she tried desperately to explain to her aunt why she just couldn't stay. Monstertello had her trapped, she had herself trapped, he didn't deserve what had happened to him, but there was just no reasonable way out of this mess that had become her life.
"No! No! You HAVE TO keep this a secret! PLEASE Aunt Leslie, I'm begging you!" The girl collapsed into her aunt's arms sobbing uncontrollably, leaving the woman at a loss.
"O-okay my little April! I will, I will! Just PROMISE me you'll return! I need you here my dearest!"
The two females stood there and silently sobbed to each other, both confused, both pressured, and both rushed. Once the aunt composed herself and her niece, she helped the young girl back into her beautiful dress, fixing her hair so it looked long and curly, and dabbing her cheeks lightly with blush. Leslie O'Neil didn't know exactly why she did it, but she thought that the little touch-ups would benefit April in some way, wherever it was that she was disappearing to. After many more embraces, the painful time for goodbyes finally came.
"Goodbye my little April..."
"That's goodbye for now, Aunt Leslie." The teen smiled as she stepped out onto the fire escape. "I'll be back, I'll see you again, and that's a promise."
With this, April looked down to see
Monstertello ready to catch her, and jumped much to the horror of Aunt Leslie. When the woman looked over the railing, all she saw was a long tail slipping away into the next alleyway. Once they were out of sight, Donnie stopped so he could talk to April about her experience and why she took a little longer than he had expected her to take.
"I had a little run in with my aunt..." The teen sighed. "She was so confused, but I didn't say anything about you, Don."
"What'd she say?!" A spike in Donnie's energy made her jump a bit.
"I got her to act like our encounter never happened, like I never went up there at all. Our secret is safe, I wouldn't lie to you, Donnie. Don't you trust me?"
"I do, I do, I'm just worried that she'll blab."
"If she does, we'll be in the sewers. Probably best to get back there as soon as we can." The girl decided, not wanting a run in with Mr. Murakami as well.
"You look beautiful." The beast looked up at his captive.
"Thank you." She responded rather gloomily as they began to descend lower.
It was amazing how quickly a mood could change.
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"This way!" Leo called as the vial's mysterious energy pulled him along.
"That's a fast liquid!" Casey hollered.
The boys had been running for a straight ten minuets by now, but they were obviously on the right track. Bloodstains, fresh and rusty, splattered the damp corridor and nauseated them greatly, but still they continued their quest. Claw marks on the walls and floor were the biggest giveaway that Monstertello had been there before. Soon enough the antidote had led them into a large room with curved walls, like an abandoned water tank. Stains of green, red, and dark purple color dotted the floors while various curses and other phrases were scattered along the walls. Other than the storm drain where the tiniest bit of light trickled in it was just a large empty swampy green place. Small piles of blood seemed like they were strategically placed around the room. The gravitational pull suddenly stopped, leaving the boys in the center of the chamber.
"What is this place?" Raph asked. "It smells awful, and that's coming from a guy who lives in the sewers."
"It's like some sort of tank, an abandoned tank." Leonardo said as he began to walk around.
"Dudes maybe this is where Slash or Spider Bytez or one of our mutant buds lives!" Michelangelo laughed as he tried to climb up the arrangement of pipes on the ceiling like branches on a tree. Raphael sighed loudly at the mention of his pet that had suffered a mutation that had drastically warped his brain, making him a maniacal killings machine.
"Don't be ridiculous, Mikey." Leo began. "This place seems uninhabited, I don't see how anyone, even a mutant, could stand to stay in this muggy place."
"AAAAAAAHHHHH!" Casey screamed, making everyone else jump and draw their weapons.
"WHAT?! Did ya see a rat or something?!" Raph growled.
"AAAAAAAHHHHH!" The boy screamed again which made the boys walk over. Gasps filled the room as they saw the bloody pile of April's torn up clothes.
"What did he DO TO HER?!" Mikey screamed, attempting to jump into Raph's arms.
"Calm down guys! Calm down! I see a blood trail, they can't be far!" Leonardo announced. "They can't be far! We'll run and meet them in the sewer tunnel!"
"Let's not waste any time then!" Raphael cried as he ran across the room.
"Wait up!" Casey called as he picked up April's tattered and ruined clothes, shoving them under his arm.
As the boys ran down the hall the room became creepily still again, despite the sound of the cracking claws dragging down another tunnel, heading right towards the room. He heard them leave, he decided not to attack, he needed peace. This place seemed like a good setting for his new home, as Leonardo said, it was uninhabited, and that Jones kid had already cleared all the waste. The smell of blood wouldn't affect him, he didn't mind it on the floor either. Nobody would ever find him down here, and if the boys came back, they would die. Sitting in the middle of his new palace, his twisted eyes stretched down the tunnel in which the search party had disappeared. He was mentioned once, it made him laugh.
"They'll never understand ya...not like me..."
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There we go! Can you guess who that was at the end!? Heeeheeee...he'll be coming in more next chapter, I promise! As for now, PLEASE REVEIW! And don't forget to look for The Monster Playlist! See you all soon! ~PurpleKittyFangirl